Buckinghamshire Council held its annual Foster Carer Excellence Awards last week, celebrating the commitment the region's foster carers show for the children they look after.
The awards are held to say ‘thank you’ for all their hard work and to reward their achievements.
There were five award categories:
- Best Newcomer – recognising the achievement of new carers as they embark on their fostering journey
- Outstanding Contribution to Fostering – recognising the contribution made by more experienced foster carers either in caring for children or in additional tasks including organising events, running buddy schemes, supporting other foster carers and taking part in training for others
- Respite & Short Breaks Carer of the Year – a new category to recognise the contribution respite and short breaks carers make to fostering, ensuring that carers and parents get a much-needed break
- The Willow Award – celebrating courage, dedication and resilience, this award recognises those who have shown remarkable perseverance in the face of adversity
- Foster Carer of the Year – celebrating the overall standout contribution of a foster carer or a fostering household in the past year
Dozens of nominations were received across the five categories. Nominations were made by social workers, foster carers, parents, carers and those linked to the fostering service. They were then assessed by a judging panel.
Speaking after the event, Anita Cranmer, Cabinet Member for Children's Services & Education said: "What a pleasure it has been to be here tonight, meeting so many of our wonderful foster carers and hearing about the fantastic work they are doing in looking after our children in care. Their dedication and commitment in ensuring these children are loved, nurtured and cared for is a joy to see."
Anita continued: "We greatly value all our foster carers for the work they do and these awards give us one opportunity to show them just how much we appreciate them. If the stories of their experiences of fostering have inspired others to consider becoming a foster carer, please get in touch, we would love to hear from you."
To find out more about fostering in Buckinghamshire visit: www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/fostering
[PICTURE: Foster carer of the year Shirley (right) with Anita Cranmer (centre) and Sandra Carnall, head of Children's Services]
[PICTURE: Best newcomer, Will]
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